Medical Surveillance Monthly Report. Volume 17, Number 5, May 2010
Abstract
Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is characterized by the complete or near-complete cessation of airfl ow during sleep due to obstruction of the upper airway. Common symptoms of OSA include snoring, choking or gasping during sleep, insomnia, morning headache, and daytime sleepiness. Risk factors for the development of OSA include obesity, increasing age, male gender, and smoking. OSA has a significant public health impact due to its co-occurrence with other health-related conditions; OSA has been linked to increased risk of motor vehicle accidents, neurocognitive impairment, and cardiovascular disease. Prevalence estimates of OSA cluster around 2.5% for women and 4% for men. An analysis of Veterans Health Administration records revealed that approximately three percent of more than four million U.S. military veterans had documented diagnoses of sleep apnea; of note, the veterans included in that study were signifi cantly older and contained proportionally more males than the current active military population. Th e gold standard for diagnosing OSA is polysomnography, a study performed in a laboratory by a sleep technician. Th roughout a night of sleep, physiologic parameters including airfl ow, respiratory eff ort, and oxygen.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- May 01, 2010
- Accession Number
- ADA523513
Entities
People
- Ellen R. Wertheimer
- John Brundage
- Leslie L. Clark
Organizations
- Armed Forces Health Surveillance Center